Chapter 420

"Christian, I know you're not serious." Pearl said.

He looked over at his mother.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." He said.

They all looked at him. "I mean, you have to be expecting some kind of reaction from me, right? That is why you are all behaving like this?" He asked.

"Christian, I'm not sure what you mean." Auggie said.

"You're all being fake. You're all just trying to appease me because you think this is some kind of phase I am going through. If any of you thought, for one minute, that this might be serious, you wouldn't be this accommodating." Christian said as he rolled his eyes.

Alexander began to clap. Everyone looked over at him.

"Bravo, big brother. You are catching on quicker than usual. There may be hope for you yet." He said, smiling. Pearl looked over at him in disgust.

"Oh come now, mother. What did you expect? He is, after all, your son. Why not follow exactly in your footsteps?"

"Alex, that is enough." Dylan said.

"Is it? And what isn't enough? Telling us all to be quiet and smile while meeting the lovely Miss Nora? Telling us that he will eventually see that he is too young and that this isn't going to happen? That must've not been quite enough, am I right?" Alex asked.

Christian looked over at his brother and gave him a thankful nod.

"I was actually happy for you. No one told me how to be." Isla said.

"I know, Isla. I didn't think other wise. As for the rest of you, let me make myself perfectly clear. I am madly in love with Nora. And she will be my wife. It is not a phase. It is a fact. Act accordingly." Christian said. Nora shifted her weight in her chair and cleared her throat.

Christian looked over at her.

"Look. I get it. Christian is the most esteemed person in the world right now. You want what is best for him and the thought of an older, American woman isn't really it. I had no idea who he as I was falling in love with him. To be perfectly honest, I most likely wouldn't have allowed myself to get close to him if I would have known. But I did. And I love him. I'm sorry it's not what you all hoped it would be. I have learned recently that falling in love doesn't really have a perfect scenario." Nora said.

"This scenario seems pretty perfect where you are concerned." Auggie said.

"Kind of like Maggie's scenario, right? Your wife? Maggie, how did that go for you in the beginning? Perfect, no?" Nora asked. Auggie's eyes widened and Maggie looked uncomfortable. "And what about you, ma'am, how was your perfect Royal scenario?" Nora asked, looking at Pearl.

Pearl looked around nervously.

"Yeah. I did my research. It was a nightmare. All of it. But you still stayed and tried to make it work. Was that for the Royal title or did that have more to do with love?" Nora asked. No one said a word for what seemed like forever.

"Be careful not to forget the past. Be careful not to forget who you all are." Nora said calmly and bravely. Christian looked over at her and smiled with pride.

"She's right." Dylan said. "We were all Nora in some way on the beginning of all of this. We know exactly what it feels like. Why not support them both and be truly happy for them?" Dylan asked.

"Because I do know what this is. Because I do know how this will play out, that's why. Nora, you may believe that I have no recollection of where I came from, that I am just a royal, judgmental snob now. But that is the furthest thing from the truth. I do care. And because I see a woman in front of me that is my almost exact reflection 22 years ago, I cannot support this. A woman like you shouldn't ever go through that. And anyone sitting here that knows what I mean will agree. That is why." Pearl said.

"Maybe you will have to accept the fact that Nora will be stronger than you were." Christian said.

"I hope she will never have to be." Pearl said, standing up and walking out of the dining room.

"Well, wasn't this fun? Nora, lovely to meet you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to happily go back to my lonely existence without the judgement of my family. Have a lovely day." Alexander said.

"Goodbye, Lex." Christian said. Isla followed and Auggie and Maggie left as well, leaving Dylan alone with Christian and Nora.

"Christian. I know I am not your father." Dylan began.

"No. You're not." Christian said.

"I will never be a father, but I do know much about loving someone. I ask you to really think about this. What this will be like, what it will create for you. And what it has the potential to do to Nora. If you love her, truly love her, that should be considered." Dylan said.

"Thank you for the advice." Christian said.

"I am here for you, always. Whatever you decide, I will support. Just make sure you are seeing clearly. Love can muddle things sometimes." Dylan said, putting down his napkin and getting up.

"Nora, it was wonderful to meet you." He said, walking out of the dining room. Christian looked over at her and smiled.

"I don't care. I don't care about any of it. I love you. And you are mine, always." He said.

Nora nodded and smiled but Christian saw that the smile seemed to carry a sadness and maybe even a bit of apprehension.